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The Eating Guide to Cinque Terre, Italy

Italy

The Italian Riviera is bustling with tourists, and they are all in Cinque Terre – colourful villages atop steep cliffs where no cars dare venture. Life moves a little slower here. Locals carry their goods in hand drawn carts, fishermen go out to the sea for a fresh catch, and the lemon dressing from your plate is probably picked from the tree near the restaurant. These are the five villages, and they are beachy Monterosso, rugged Corniglia, beautiful Vernazza, traditional Manarola and calming Riomaggiore. Here, we seek out the taste of the Ligurian sea. 

Look forward to: Fresh seafood and Ligurian pesto

Ristorante Belforte

Where: Via G. Guidoni, 42, 19018 Vernazza SP, Italy
What: Codfish ravioli with pesto
For: Romantic dining

Fresh seafood, homemade pesto and a view of the sea puts Ristorante Belforte on the top of everyone’s list. Ligurian recipes dominate the menu here. Ligurian pesto is the region’s most celebrated dish, and Belforte’s version has a creamy texture with a zesty lemon aftertaste. The Vernazza seafood salad is a mixture of steamed seafood topped with olive oil, lemon and parsley – the perfect antipasti to whet your appetite. Chances are that sea view seats are not guaranteed for walk-ins, so book in advance to get that spot by the sea. 

Trattoria Locanda Il Porticciolo

Where: Via Renato Birolli, 92, 19017 Manarola di Riomaggiore SP, Italy
What: Roasted fish with vegetables
For: Variety

The casual Trattoria Locanda Il Porticciolo is hard to miss if you look out for the parked boats along Manarola’s main street. Local fish dishes are some of the restaurant’s top dishes. Dig into the pappardelle with swordfish, roasted fish with vegetables, and salted anchovies with peppers. 

Aristide

Where: Via Discovolo, 290, Manarola, Italy
What: Eggs
For: Breakfast 

Breakfast eggs can be hard to come by in Italy, as locals go for a pastry and a coffee to start their day. Aristide provides a good Italian alternative to the all American breakfast. Omelettes are made with stretchy Italian cheese and parma ham. For something sweet, there is always a crostata. If you’re staying in Manarola, make this place your pitstop for your morning pick-me-up en route to the train station. 

Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre

Where: Via Gavino, 36, 19018 Vernazza SP, Italy
What: Cannoli
For: Sicilian cuisine

We may be all the way up north of Italy, but the Sicilian palate is not lost in Cinque Terre. Massimo and Gianluca are the Sicilian brothers who opened Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre, which became a breakfast favourite in Vernazza. As expected from Sicilian cuisine, desserts and pastries are the extraordinary items on the menu. It gets busy during breakfasts, and a meal there is incomplete without trying the cannoli with ricotta cheese. 

The 24 Hour Guide to Eating in Venice, Italy

Italy

It’s mid day in Venice, and the Venetians are congregating in bàcaris, where alcohol is often paired with small plates of crostinis, deep fried seafood balls and mini sandwiches. Forget the overpriced restaurants along the Grand Canal. The heart of Venetian cuisine is in this street food – cicchetti. These bite sized pieces of food are the perfect combination of Italian ingredients served on a toothpick, each ranging from one to three euros. We round up the three places you need to know if you have 24 hours in Venice. 

Look forward to: Cicchetti

Al Merca

Where: Campo Bella Vienna, 213, 30125 Venezia, Italy
What: Panini
For: Cicchetti

Equipped with just a storefront, Al Merca is a haven for the mid afternoon wine and miniature panino. No seating areas? No problem, just blend in with the locals standing in front of the store, with food and drink in hand. The counter is stuffed with panino, some with gorgonzola cheese and others with parma ham. Amongst these, other cicchetti such as deep fried seafood can be found. Take your pick from any of these, but the Italian cheese and prosciutto panino always wins. 

Osteria Alla Ciurma

Where: Calle Galeazza, 406A, 30125 San Polo, Venezia VE, Italy
What: Crostinis
For: Cicchetti

The orders never stop at Osteria Alla Ciurma, and neither does the drinking. A glass of wine starts at €1.50, and ranges from friulano to prosecco. Seating areas are few, but you wouldn’t need that if you’re going for the drinks and finger food. The top item to try? The different types of crostinis. Owner Marco Paola is a whiz at experimenting with crostini toppings, such as stuffed eggplant, baccalà mantecato (creamed codfish) and anchovies. 

Pontini

Where: Fondamenta Cannaregio, 1268, 30121 Venezia, Italy
What: Seafood pastas
For: A sit down restaurant

Of course, it’s not all cicchetti in Venice. Fresh seafood in the Venetian markets always find their way inside this trattoria along Cannaregio. To avoid the queue at Pontini, dinner at 6 pm is essential. Pastas with any kind of seafood are exceptional, as the pastas are doused in a thick seafood stock, the result of a hearty combination  of shellfish and tomatoes. Every bite is filled with the flavours of the sea. 

The Eating Guide to Gothenburg, Sweden

Sweden

To many, Gothenburg isn’t much to talk about and is often passed over as a sleepy unexciting city. But even sleepy cities have a certain appeal to tourists looking for a laid back holiday. With its quiet sprawling gardens, old school charm of the Haga District and benches overlooking sea views coaxing you to just sit back and relax, you might just feel like you’re selling short of Sweden’s second largest city.

Look forward to: Fish and seafood

Café Husaren

Where: Haga Nygata 28, 411 22 Gothenburg
What: Fika
For: Breakfast

There is one thing every tourist must do when they go to Sweden – get a fika. Fika is a Swedish culture where people grab a coffee and some pastries. What better place to grab a fika than Café Husaren. The largest cinnamon buns in the world can be found in this classic cafe with roots in the 1800s. You can’t miss it when you walk along Haga District, with its window display of tempting pastries, cookies and cakes.

Trattoria La Strega

Where: Aschebergsgatan 23B, 41125 Gothenburg
What: Risotto with breaded pike-perch fillet and sage butter
For: A treat

People who have been to Gothenburg must have heard of Trattoria La Strega. Garnering rave reviews on Tripadvisor, this restaurant went right on top of my list to visit. I even went as far as to make a reservation a few weeks in advance just to secure a spot. The rustic interiors and dark wooden tables resemble an Italian wine cellar. For starters, the Självinporterat meats is a good selection of cured meats. For the mains, I went straight for the owner’s recommended dishes, which was the pasta with king crab and risotto with breaded pike-perch fillet and sage butter.

Sjöbaren

Where: Haga Nygata 25, 413 01 Gothenburg
What: Cod fish
For: Cheap Swedish food

Located in the heart of Haga District, Sjöbaren prides itself on serving fresh fish and seafood from the Gothenburg harbour. Their lunch sets are a steal, which changes daily. The menu is small but expect quality food due to their careful sourcing of ingredients.

Mellow Cafe & Bistro

Where: Östra Klevgatan 4, 452 30 Strömstad
What: American Breakfast
For: A charming cafe 

Sweden is no lack of charming cafes that serve gorgeous breakfasts, and Mellow Cafe & Bistro is just one of them. The cafe is in Strömstad, a small town two hours away from Gothenburg. Think American style breakfasts with a Swedish twist. The menu is all in Swedish, but the friendly staff are more than happy to translate it for you.